Christmas is a time for giving, we all know that. Luckily, giving doesn’t mean spending all your hard earned cash at the local mall. Giving your time, effort and love is just as important (okay, so MORE important) than all those gadgets and shiny things you find in the store. This year, give nuts.

These nuts are just as tasty as the ones you find in the shopping malls this time of year. You know the ones I’m talking about. Just as you walk through the doors of the mall you can smell them. They’re impossible to resist! You must follow your nose to the sugary, spicy, roasted nuts.

This year, rather than paying over $1.00 for an ounce of roasted nuts, why not make them yourself? Oh, because you can’t? It’s too hard? You don’t know how?

Actually, you can. It’s simple. I’ll show you how.

These nuts are so simple to make and you get great results with ingredients that you most likely have on hand. Please. Make these. You will not be disappointed.

Just grab a big can of nuts, any will do. Almonds, pecans, peanuts, mixed nuts, whatever. I used mix nuts. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Dump ‘em in a big bowl, pour in a beaten egg white, stir it up and dump on the sugar and spice. Mix it up, pop the nuts in the oven for 30 minutes or so and all of your dreams will come true.

These are yummy right out of the oven (be careful, though, they are hot), but they store perfectly which makes them perfect little Christmas gifts. A big jar of nuts wrapped in a pretty ribbon? Best Christmas gift ever.

If you’d rather give store bought gifts this year, that’s fine too, but be sure to make these for your next get-together. You’ll be a hero.

Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 2 pounds nuts (any kind, I prefer mixed)
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tbsp water
• 2/3 cup dark-brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (you could use paprika if you’re a scaredy-pants, but the cayenne works well)
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Add nuts to large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and water until frothy. Pour over nuts and stir to coat all the nuts. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars, salt, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Pour over nuts and stir to coat. Spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment (or wax paper) lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and separate nuts if they are stuck together. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.